The Vanishing Santa
The Town Where Santas Disappear
Hey, have you ever heard the story? In this town, every Christmas Eve, people dressed as Santa Claus vanish without a trace. Sounds like some urban legend or silly rumor, right? But here’s the thing—it’s surprisingly believable. Over the past few years, it’s actually happened to several people.
This year, my friend Takashi, a college student, volunteered to play Santa. Honestly, I couldn’t help but worry. I mean, sure, the pay might be good, but wouldn’t you think twice about taking on a role surrounded by such a creepy story? But Takashi just laughed it off. “It’s just a rumor. If you let stuff like that get to you, you’ll never have fun,” he said casually.
This town’s Christmas event is pretty famous. Held in the square near the station, it features kid-friendly shows, gift exchanges, and crowds of people from all over. The Santa role is one of the highlights—handing out presents and taking pictures with children. Everyone loves it.
But the rumor of “The Disappearing Santa” apparently started about five years ago. That year, after the event ended, a young man playing Santa vanished. At the time, it was just treated as a missing person case. But the same thing happened again the next year. That’s when the whispers began—“The Santa role is cursed.”
The creepiest part? The ones who disappeared all mentioned seeing something before they vanished—a red shadow. It would appear in the darker corners of the square, a flicker of crimson where no one should be. If they followed it, that was the last anyone saw of them. What is this, a horror movie?
I told Takashi about all this, but he just grinned. “C’mon, don’t be such a scaredy-cat. Nothing’s gonna happen,” he said. He was so determined that I couldn’t argue, though the unease in my gut didn’t go away. In the end, I decided to swing by the event myself, just to make sure he’d be okay.
Christmas Eve came, and the square was alive with sparkling lights and cheerful voices. Kids’ laughter echoed as Takashi, in full Santa gear, handed out presents and posed for photos. The scene was so bright and lively, it almost made me forget about the rumor. Almost.
Then I saw it—a flicker of movement at the edge of the square, in the shadows. A red blur, just for an instant. It wasn’t Takashi; he was still surrounded by kids. My eyes darted back to the shadows, but there was nothing there now. Just darkness. A chill ran down my spine.
After the event wrapped up, I went to find Takashi. But he wasn’t anywhere. I called out to him, over and over, but no answer came. That creeping, terrible feeling from earlier hit me like a wave. Something was wrong. I started searching frantically, my voice echoing through the now-empty square.
Following Takashi’s Trail
I ran around the square, calling Takashi’s name. The dazzling Christmas lights sparkled beautifully, but there was something unsettling about the scene. The crowd had started to scatter, yet no one had seen where Takashi went.
“Takashi!” I shouted, my voice echoing as I searched every corner of the square. People glanced at me with puzzled looks, but I didn’t care. He had been here just moments ago. How could he just vanish?
Then I noticed something—a decrepit public restroom tucked away in the shadows of the square. It seemed unlikely that Takashi would have gone there, but something about it pulled me in. The restroom was dimly lit, its corners shrouded in darkness where the Christmas lights couldn’t reach. There was an eerie stillness, as if the place had been forgotten.
Inside, the faint glow of a flickering light barely illuminated the damp, grimy tiles. A musty, wet smell lingered in the air. “Takashi?” I called out quietly, but only silence answered. I checked each stall, but they were all empty. Then I saw it—wet footprints leading further in. The prints were oddly large, the toes pointed in a way that reminded me of… Santa’s boots.
“What the hell is this…” I muttered, a shiver running down my spine. Someone had definitely been here. The footprints led to the back of the restroom, stopping in front of a rusted storage closet. The door was slightly ajar.
I hesitated. Something felt wrong, but I couldn’t turn back now. Slowly, I pushed the door open. Inside, cleaning supplies were piled haphazardly—nothing unusual at first glance. But then I noticed it: a small, hidden door at the back of the closet, barely visible in the dim light.
A heavy padlock hung on the door, old and corroded, but it seemed loose, as if it had been deliberately left that way. Cold air seeped through the gap, carrying the scent of damp earth. My chest tightened, but I knew I had to see what was inside.
With trembling hands, I unhooked the padlock. The door creaked open, revealing a staircase descending into darkness. The cold air hit me like a wave, and a chill ran down my spine.
“What is this place… a basement?” I whispered to myself, switching on my phone’s flashlight. The beam of light cut through the blackness, revealing stairs carved into packed dirt. They stretched down into the abyss, and every instinct screamed at me to turn back. But Takashi was down there. He had to be.
The Mysterious Doorway
Each step deeper into the dark felt heavier than the last. The air grew colder, and my breath fogged in front of me. The flashlight’s narrow beam barely illuminated the space around me, making the descending stairs feel endless.
Finally, I reached the bottom, stepping into what felt like a cavern. The walls were made of raw earth, and the space was eerily vast. In the center stood a wooden chair, worn and ancient, draped with a crimson cloth.
I approached cautiously, the flashlight shaking in my hand. The cloth was unmistakable—it was a Santa coat. The fabric was pristine, as if someone had just left it there. The sight of it sent a chill through my body.
“Takashi…?” My voice wavered as I called his name. The space was silent, save for the echo of my own voice. But something was off. I felt it—a presence, invisible yet oppressive, watching me from the shadows.
Suddenly, a sharp “clack” broke the silence—the sound of footsteps on the hard ground. I spun around, shining my flashlight wildly, but there was no one there. The sound grew louder, closer, and my heart pounded in my chest.
“Who’s there?!” I shouted, my voice cracking. No answer. Just the rhythmic sound of those footsteps, closing the gap between us. Then I noticed it—the coat on the chair was gone.
“Come on… this isn’t funny,” I muttered, my voice trembling. Then, in the faint glow of the flashlight, I saw it. A gloved hand—thin, pale, and impossibly long—reaching out from the darkness.
I stumbled back, screaming, but the hand disappeared, dissolving into the air as if it had never been there. My heart was racing, fear clouding my mind. But the oppressive feeling of being watched only grew stronger.
I turned again, and there it was—a figure clad in a red coat, standing just feet away. Its face was obscured by shadows, but its shape was unmistakable. It was Santa Claus… or something pretending to be.
The figure began to move, its steps deliberate and slow. My body froze, paralyzed by the sheer weight of the moment. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. All I could do was watch as it came closer.
The Shadow’s True Form
The red shadow began to move, stepping slowly toward me. My legs felt like they were glued to the ground, unable to move. My heart was pounding so loudly it echoed in my ears. With each step the shadow took, an overwhelming fear gripped my chest, tightening like a vice.
“…Takashi, is that you?” My voice barely came out, trembling with hope. But there was no reply. The shadow stopped in its tracks, standing ominously still. Then, from the darkness, came a deep, sinister laugh. It wasn’t human. The sound was fractured, like something unnatural trying to mimic human laughter.
That laugh confirmed it—this wasn’t Takashi. It wasn’t even human. The shadow began to shift, its form distorting and swelling. The red coat bulged unnaturally, as though something massive and grotesque was trying to emerge from within.
Suddenly, it spoke. “Are you looking for him?” The voice was low and dry, like the crackling of dead leaves. I couldn’t find my own voice to respond. I waved my flashlight frantically, trying to pierce the darkness, and that’s when I saw them—two glowing eyes, cold and sharp as ice, staring directly at me. They seemed to see through me, reading every thought, every fear.
“Where’s Takashi?!” I finally managed to scream, my voice cracking with desperation. The shadow grinned—a smile that sent a chill down my spine. “He’s right here… see?” it said, extending a long arm. In its hand was Takashi’s Santa hat, crumpled and lifeless.
My breath caught in my throat. I stood there, frozen, unable to move or even think. The shadow’s presence was suffocating. Then, without warning, it lunged forward. Its speed was inhuman, like a gust of wind that had come alive. Reflexively, I hurled my phone toward it, the flashlight spinning wildly through the air. But the shadow didn’t flinch. It kept coming.
Before I could react, its cold, elongated hand touched my shoulder. The moment it made contact, an unbearable cold spread through my entire body, as if I were being encased in ice. A strange sensation coursed through me, like something was invading my very being. I let out a scream, raw with fear and pain, as my vision began to blur and twist.
Then, just as my consciousness started to slip away, I heard it—soft, almost intimate, a voice whispering in my ear.
“You’re next.”
The Disappeared
When I came to, I found myself lying in the corner of the square. The morning light streamed across the town, painting a quiet scene that felt like a stark contrast to the lively Christmas event the night before. My body felt heavy, like lead, and my head spun as I struggled to sit up.
“Takashi…” I muttered, calling out his name as I looked around. But he was nowhere to be seen. Was everything that happened last night just a bad dream? No, it couldn’t be. The red shadow, the freezing hand, the whisper in my ear—it was all too real.
Reaching into my pocket, my fingers brushed against something cold and metallic. I pulled it out and found a small, old bell. It had a red string tied to it, and something about it seemed familiar. “This… is Takashi’s, isn’t it?” As the words left my lips, a chill ran down my spine. The shadow’s whispered words echoed in my mind:
“You’re next.”
Fear gripped my chest as I dropped the bell to the ground in a panic. It made a dull clinking sound as it rolled away, glinting mockingly in the light. Breaking it or throwing it away wouldn’t change anything. The bell felt like a silent witness to something I didn’t want to face.
I thought about going to the police, but what could I tell them? About Takashi, the shadow, the bell… Who would believe me? I’d only sound insane. In the end, I did nothing and went home, carrying the weight of what happened.
Days turned into weeks, but those words stayed with me: “You’re next.” I didn’t know where Takashi had gone, but I knew one thing for sure. The shadow had seen me. It was watching me. And someday, it would come for me.
As Christmas approaches again, the unease grows stronger. Every night, I can’t help but peek outside my window, half-expecting to see the red shadow standing there. I tell myself I should leave this town before the next Christmas Eve. But deep down, I wonder—can I escape? Would it follow me?
The bell now sits in the drawer of my desk. I’ve tried to throw it away more times than I can count, but my hand always freezes before I can let it go. Every night, I swear I can hear its faint jingling in the distance. Is it just my imagination? Or is it a warning that my time is almost here?
This story is a work of fiction. Please enjoy it as entertainment.
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